Mountain Goat Dies Trying to Escape Crowds

The drowning death of a lost mountain goat in Alaska is being blamed on a crush of people onshore who were trying to get its picture on Saturday. The goat’s presence in the city of Seward was unusual, as the animals usually stay above the timberline in remote areas. State troopers got calls saying the wayward animal was being harassed by people trying to photograph it. With nowhere to turn, the goat dove into the ocean, where it drowned. It’s the latest in a sad string of human encounters with wild animals that have ended badly for the animals. The most notable may have been the baby bison who died in Yellowstone National Park in May after tourists who thought it looked cold put the calf in the back of their vehicle. Officials are reminding people to give animals their space. — Read it at the Chicago Tribune